Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Kabul

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $511 a month against $1,822 in Seoul, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seoul and in Kabul

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seoul and in Kabul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $511 in Kabul.

Seoul $1,822
Kabul $511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $684 in Kabul.

Seoul $2,847
Kabul $684

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $857 in Kabul.

Seoul $3,872
Kabul $857

Living in Seoul is roughly 256% more expensive than in Kabul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seoul is 36% above, Kabul is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$2.70 ؋175

237.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩89.8K

$7.89 ؋511

749.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,941

$4.51 ؋292

64.52%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 ؋148

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,470

$1.09 ؋70.5

274.31%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ₩2,141

$0.45 ؋28.95

255.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,078

$0.17 ؋10.83

370.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,886

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,956

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,742

$0.81 ؋52.4

153.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,130

$0.25 ؋16.23

1132.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,646

$1.86 ؋121

126.34%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,784

$1.54 ؋99.7

131.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$4.46 ؋289

302.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$4.03 ؋261

164.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.4K

$6.71 ؋434

294.04%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,946

$0.70 ؋45.11

960.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,732

$0.89 ؋57.4

296.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,866

$0.95 ؋61.5

517.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,534

$0.55 ؋35.47

1058.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,028

$0.61 ؋39.34

514.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,337

$0.51 ؋32.74

388.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,911

$0.30 ؋19.48

873.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,542

$0.37 ؋23.89

210.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 ؋52.0

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 ؋65.8

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,408

$2.42 ؋157

35.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,057

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,398

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,526

$0.13 ؋8.60

776.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩60.9K

$21.08 ؋1,366

115.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,663

$2.12 ؋138

64.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩803

$0.45 ؋29.02

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$2.77 ؋179

214.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,004

$1.08 ؋69.9

38.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.1K ₩39.0M

$8,341 ؋540.2K

249.08%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.2K ₩37.8M

$33.8K ؋2.2M

-16.51%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$209 ₩279.9K

$42.09 ؋2,726

396.25%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$35.13 ₩47.1K

$13.12 ؋850

167.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$95.3 ؋6,174

-77.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩76.8K

$11.15 ؋722

414.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$4.11 ؋266

286.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$2.34 ؋152

384.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,902 ₩2.5M

$20.64 ؋1,337

9116.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$1,045 ؋67.7K

2054.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.9K

$10.71 ؋694

450.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.0K

$15.93 ؋1,032

101.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.0K

$57.8 ؋3,741

21.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.5K

$25.51 ؋1,652

223.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$125 ؋8,092

608.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩835.5K

$109 ؋7,043

473.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$219 ؋14.2K

1039.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$115 ؋7,463

1006.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.0M

$675 ؋43.7K

4319.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$363 ؋23.5K

3159.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$339 ؋21.9K

976.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Kabul: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Kabul

$109 21.6% 82.6% $515

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Kabul

$102 20.2% 78.8% $377

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Kabul

$151 29.9% 43.2% $115

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Kabul

$51 10.1% 72.5% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Kabul

$49 9.8% 54.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Kabul

$16 3.2% 80.2% $64

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Kabul

$26 5.2% 54% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Seoul and $125 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 977% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $102 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇦🇫 Kabul

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

11:42 11:42 AM

4 h 30 min behind Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

3,289,000 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AFN, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,503 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.65 EUR).

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 64.76 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.64 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Between locations

Seoul Kabul 5,120 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seoul
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seoul vs Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul and Kabul differ by about 256% in total monthly costs ($1,822 vs $511 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 977% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $125 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 116% less than in Seoul. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $20.64 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $511 in Kabul versus $1,822 in Seoul, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Seoul. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seoul and Kabul are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Seoul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.